The Forever Cool Of Chanel Cosmetics’ Colours

Many have had Chanel on their lips since the brand announced in mid-December that Matthieu Blazy — one of the most inventive but also discreet millennial designers of our time — will fill its highly coveted role of artistic director of its fashion arm (his official title is Artistic Director of Fashion Activities). 

“We didn’t choose Matthieu to just ‘do Chanel’; we chose him so he could push the boundaries of what Chanel is for the future,” said Bruno Pavlovsky, president of fashion at the luxury giant, in an interview with industry publication Business of Fashion. “Chanel is ready to let itself be transported.”

SO WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT CHANEL COSMETICS?

Indeed braving and instigating change can be said to be a key trait of the maison as a whole. It’s what its ultra-modern founder Gabrielle Chanel did even in the beauty sphere over a century ago when she launched Chanel’s first makeup product, lipstick in a bespoke shade of red, in 1924 — a time when red lips were being adopted by suffragettes as a symbol of strength and rebellion (yes, many have in fact had Chanel on their lips for a long time literally).

And as recently as late 2022, the house made another major, unprecedented move on this front with the reveal of the Cometes Collective: an initiative in which bright and bold rising stars not unlike Blazy, but from the world of beauty are roped in to work with the Chanel Makeup Creation Studio on new colours and products. (Their official titles: Chanel Global Creative Makeup Partners.)

Kicking it off are three of the edgiest and most in-demand makeup artists on the scene, all of whom are in their 30s – young by industry standards: the sci-fi obsessed Valentina Li, the artsy Cecile Paravina and Ammy Drammeh, who’s known for her ultra-light touch (she’s a whiz at making natural skin glow) that still comes with playful pops of colour. The idea is that instead of relying on a single creative head, the brand can tap on a multitude of independent, forward-thinking perspectives to inject experimentation and innovation, and shape how it approaches beauty for a new generation.

WHAT CHANEL COSMETICS TO BUY?

The POVs of the three women are diverse yet complementary, as seen at the brand’s Colour of Allure event at Space House – an iconic office building that had never previously hosted anything similar – in London last month. Held to illustrate Chanel’s authority with colours, it comprised a mini retrospective exhibition, a digital showcase of the transformative effect of its cosmetics, and an intimate interview with the trio.

When quizzed about their makeup essentials, for example, Li cited 31 Le Rouge – a high-end range of Chanel lipsticks that debuted in 2023 and is known for its hyper-sleek, refillable glass case and long-wearing formula that makes puckers look more defined. In August this year, she created 12 new luminous-matte shades for it. 

Drammeh singled out Chanel’s cream-to-powder blush Joues Contrast Intense for its “good range for different complexions and a texture that makes the colour look like it comes from within”. And Paravina is a longtime fan of Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue, which boasts an ultra-pigmented liquid lipstick on one end and a high-shine gloss on the other. (“I love how it’s very long-wearing and I love many of its colours,” she said.)

One product that’s in all three of their Chanel makeup bags? Ombre Essentielle, a line of mono-colour eyeshadow palettes with an ultra-creamy formula that makes it effortless to blend and build its intensity. Paravina in fact added 14 exotic new colours to it in May 2024 (think a golden grey-green called Jade Facette or a matte lilac mauve dubbed Lilas Poudres). “Its super-easy to pop on just like how I did today because I didn’t have much time to get ready,” she told press. 

WHAT'S THE LATEST CHANEL COSMETICS COLLECTION?

Edgy, elegant and easy-to-wear: These three words also sum up the Chanel cosmetics the Cometes Collective have introduced to the brand. Take the Spring Summer 2025 collection – the brainchild of Ammy Drammeh – that’s hitting boutiques in Singapore on Jan 3, 2025. 

The colours are unexpected and bring a seriously playful dose of pop: from coppery red to purple to metallic green. To keep things sophisticated and effortless though, Chanel has created what it calls “twin sets”: an Ombre Essentielle eyeshadow and a Stylo Yeux Waterproof eyeliner in matching colours, but contrasting tones and finishes. Pair together for a feminine yet fun tone-on-tone look.

An upsized Jeux de Lumieres palette containing four shades of illuminating powders guarantees a fresh-faced and fashion-forward glow on all skin tones: Choose from a shimmery pink coral or silvery pink, a pink gold or coppery gold. And to complete the everyday-chic-with-a-twist aesthetic, there are two TDF milky shades of Le Vernis nail polish (Poete, a soft peach, and the aqua green Artiste), and six juicy new hues of Chanel Rouge Coco Baume – the ultra-hydrating lip balm from Chanel that’s now been reformulated for added shine. 

HOW TO WEAR CHANEL COSMETICS?

On the evening before the Colour of Allure event in London, the Cometes Collective, friends of Chanel and press from all over the world (us included) gathered at the Royal Academy of Arts in Burlington Garden for an intimate and convivial welcome dinner. Personalities from Asia included the Thai actress/singer Achiraya Nithibon (otherwise better known as Ally), the Japanese actress Ai Hashimoto of The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House fame, and top Chinese model/influencer Jiali Zhao, all adding to the confluence of cool and confident young women in the room.

None wore any colours on their faces that would be considered extreme, but their makeup still made a striking personal statement. Ally, for example, wore grey smokey eyes with hints of gold glitter and shimmery beige-y red lipstick to match, while both Zhao and Hashimoto went for their own shade of red Chanel lipsticks to define their look. (Zhao, who’s often depicted with a no-makeup makeup look on runways, also notably imbued a sense of girlishness with light pink blusher dusted delicately across her cheekbones.)

And this, one realises, is what Chanel means by “Colour of Allure”. The brand has always understood the power of colour and been daring in coming up with new ones. Instead of colour for colour’s sake though, the intent is always to bring out the elegance and colour of the person wearing it. 

One can surprise and make a statement without shouting – now that’s chic.